Candidate for Nominating Committee (Two to be Elected)

Leslie A. Petruzzelli, DNP, MBA, RN, CNOR, NE-BC, is a director and nurse consultant at Surgical Directions, Chicago, Illinois. She earned an associate degree in nursing from the Community College of Allegheny County, West Mifflin, Pennsylvania; a bachelor of science in nursing from Carlow University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; a master of business administration from the University of Phoenix, Arizona; and a doctor of nursing practice from the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Petruzzelli has been a perioperative nurse for 34 years and a member of AORN for 24 years. She has been a member of

• the Georgia State Council (2018-2020).

Petruzzelli has attended Congress 10 times in the past 10 years, one time as a delegate.

Petruzzelli has received

• an Air Force Meritorious Service Medal (2013).

Highlights of Petruzzelli’s service to AORN include that she is

• a member of the Continuing Education Approval Committee (2021-present) and
• a member of the AORN Executive Round Table (2022-present).

She has been

• a member of the Task Force to Define the Role of DNPs in Perioperative Services (2020-2021),
• a member of the AORN Executive Round Table (2018-2022), and
• a member of the Cardinal Health Advisory Board (2015-2018).

In other leadership roles, Petruzzelli is

• a veteran of the US Air Force (retired 2013-present).

She has been

• squadron chief nurse, Aeromedical Evacuation Unit (2013).

In her community, Petruzzelli is

• a volunteer for Sophia’s Kitchen, Peoria, Illinois (2022-present).

Election Statement

I am honored to have a place on the AORN ballot as a candidate for the Nominating Committee. Selecting candidates to lead AORN is a tremendous responsibility. I am confident that I can call on my experiences in building successful leadership teams to identify and develop successful future leaders for our organization.

Throughout my career I have led, built, and empowered capable teams. Our membership is talented, passionate, and diverse. It is critical in selecting the next generation of AORN leaders to leverage these inherent strengths to better serve our membership. AORN is a member’s organization and I believe our leadership needs to represent the demographics, experiences, and cultures of membership. There are over 40,000 members in AORN; we need to encourage these nurses to bring their talents to serve in office for AORN. This is important to all of us to keep the membership engaged in our objectives for safe patient care.

During my tenure as both a Perioperative Director and military leader as a Chief Nurse I have been successful at identifying talented individuals. It has been a privilege to successfully lead these teams globally in the US Air Force and in regional academic medical centers.

I am optimistic about this opportunity to engage with our members, and I encourage both new and experienced members of AORN to support me with your votes. It would be an honor to serve you on the Nominating Committee.